townsend



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. A. TOWNSEND. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 431,411 Patented July 1,1890.

I li'iii' lllllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TOWNSEND, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NYE d: TREDICK.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,417, dated July 1, 1890.. i

Application filed November 29, 1889. Serial No. 331,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR TOWNSEND, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Knitting-lVIachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cylinder ma chines, so called, in which vertical reciproeating needles mounted in the walls of an upright cylinder co-operate with reciprocating needles radially arranged in' an overlying dial-plate.

It has reference more particularly to machines employed for the knitting of shirtbodies, sleeves, and stockings. In the production of these articles it is the practice to knit them in continuous lengths, which are afterward cut into shorter lengths, the action of the needles being changed at suitable intervals to produce a closely-knitted fabric for the ends of the sleeves, the waists of shirtbodies, &c., and to produce a loosely-knitted fabric for the body portions of the sleeves, the busts, and skirts of shirts, &c.

It is the aim of my invention to provide for this change from tight to loose knitting, and vice versa; and to this end the first part of the invention consists in mounting the dial-plate so that it may be raised and lowered at will in relation to the cylinder, and in combining therewith automatic mechanism to effect such movement at predetermined intervals.

The second part of the invention relates to improved means for operating the patternchain through which the dial-plate is raised and lowered, whereby I amenabled to use chains of less length than would otherwise be required. This chain-operating mechanism is applicable not only to the chain for adj usting the dial, but also in connection with pattern-chains used for changing the position of the needle-operating cams, and generally for operating the pattern-chains of knitting-machines regardless of the purpose for which such chains are employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine having my improvement incorporated therein. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views showing portions of the mechanism for operating the pattern-chains. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through the principal operative parts of the machine, parts being in section. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, parts being in section. Fig. 6 is a view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the stationary framework of the machine; B, the revolving cylinder therein; 0', the cylinderneedles, and c the cams for operating said needles.

D represents the dial-plate, cl its needles, and d the cams for operating the dial-needles, located on the under side of a stationary plate E, fixed to a central sustaining-shaft F, which also sustains the freely-rotating dial.

The foregoingparts are all constructed and operated in the usual manner, with the single exception that the dial-sustaining shaft F, mounted in the stationary cross-bar K, instead of being fixed in position, as usual, is arranged to slide vertically through. said bar and provided at its upper end with a recess to receive the end of an elbow-lever G, pivoted to the bar at g, whereby the lever is enabled to raise and lower the dial, its needles, and cam-connections, in orderto change the distance between the cylinder and dial and between the cylinder and dial-needles without effecting the action of the needles in other respects. sition, the needles produce a closely knitted fabric; but when the dial iselevated so as to increase the distance between the needles the stitches are stretched or elongatedin such manner as to somewhat loosen the texture of the fabric. This loosening is of advantage in many places-for instance, in shirt-bodies, or where sleeves are to be inserted in order to avoid the necessity for the insertion of a gusset.

I propose to effect the elevation and depression of the dial by mechanism of any appropriate character; but I prefer to employ the elbow-lever and to connect the latter by a link 9 with the upper end of an elbow-lever g which is pivoted to the main frame at g and provided at its outer end with a roller g acted upon by links of varying height in a pattern-chain 1 carried by a horizontal roll 1-1, which may be operated by either of the various mechanisms now known in the art.

It will be perceived that by providing in When the dial is in its lowest pothe pattern-chain high and low links in proper numbers and relations the elevation and depression of the dial-platemaybe regulated at will, so as to knit the tight and the loose courses at such periods of time as maybe demanded.

It is to be understood that the pattern-chain and intervening levers herein shown constitute but one form of pattern mechanism and that they may be replaced by either of the various pattern mechanisms now known in the art.

I11 order that the-dial may be raised or lowered to a greater or less extent, as demanded, I propose to make the connections adjustable. The simplest construction to this end is that shown in Fig. 4, in which the lever G is provided with a slot to receive the adjustable pivot-bolt g", by which the link is attached thereto. the fulcrum of the lever the latter will be caused to vibrate .through a shorter or longer arm, and thus the dial caused to rise to a greater or less extent.

For the purpose of operating the roll which carries the pattern-chain I provide the roll at one end with a ratchet-wheel it, operated by a pawl h on the end of lever k pivoted to the main frame and vibrated bya depressingspring 72 and a lifting-cam h, the latter connected to and revolving with the cylinder. These parts are of ordinary construction,be-

ing the same as those represented in Letters Patent to George E. Nye, dated April 28, 1885, No. 316,907.

As machines have been heretofore construeted the ratchet meehanismadvances the chain one length at each revolution of the cylinder, and it was therefore necessary to employ very long pattern-chains whenever a large number of courses was to be knitwithout change. In order to avoid the use of these long and objectionable chains, I provide a mechanism by which the chains are slowly advanced, the cylinders being allowed to make a number of revolutions each time that the chain is advanced one link.

This mechanism, as shown in the various figures, consists, primarily, of a second and larger ratchet-wheel t, loosely mounted at the side of wheel h and formed with a series of ordinary teeth and with a single deep tooth 1'. When the two wheels are concentric, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pawl engages and turns the wheel 2', which, by reason of its size,

- holds the pawl out of engagement with the wheel it until the deep tooth t arrives at the Ipawl, when the latter is permitted to engage the wheel h and advance the same one tooth,

thereby advancing the pattern-chain one link, after which the continued rotationof the wheel 1' again holds the dog out of engagestep. It will be observed that the wheel t' 15y shifting this pivot to and from acts simply as a throw-out device for the driving-pawl, so that the latter is permitted to move the chain only at long intervals. As the pawl is operated once at each revolution of the cylinderthat is to say, while the controlling-wheel i has, as shown in the drawings, twenty-four teethit follows that under the arrangement shown a single-feed machine would lay into the fabric twentyfour courses for each link in the pattern-chain, while a double-feed machine would in like manner introduce forty-eight courses.

For many kinds of work-that is to say, in the production of many garments or fabricsit is unnecessary to provide forany control of the pattern-chain beyond that above described In some cases, however, it is necessary to change the pattern of the fabric momentarily only, so that it becomes necessary to change the pattern-chain g hereinafter designated as the main pattern-chain, more speedily than it could be effected if the wheel t' remained always in operative position. To this end I provide means for throwing the wheel 1' automatically out of its operative position, so that the pawl may at suitable intervals operate, in its usual manner, rapidly to advance the main pattern-chain. As shown in the drawings, the wheel 1' is mounted on a tubular journal or arm t'*, which loosely surrounds the pattern-roll shaft, being fixed at 4 its lower end on a horizontal rock-shaft'z' provided at the opposite end with an arm 4 connected by link 2' to an elbow-lever 2' which is in turn pivoted at 2' to the main frame and provided with a roller 1'", acted upon by a pattern-chain mounted on the roll II. A spring i returns the lever 2' after the action of the secondary pattern-chain. The secondary chain, being composed of high and low links suitably arranged with reference to the required fabric, acts at the proper time to move the lever 6 and through the intermediate parts to throw the wheelz' from its normal operative position backward, as shown in Fig. 3, in eccentric relation to wheel h,

leaving the edge of the latter exposed to the constant action of the driving-pawl. While the parts are in this position the chains are all advanced at each rotation of the cylinder.

As before mentioned, the wheel 2' and the devices for operating the same are applicable in general for controlling the pattern-chains of a knittingmachine that is to say, for controlling-chains which control in turn the needle-cams as well as the chains for moving the dial. In the drawings I have shown upon the pattern-roll a number of pattern-chains operating through elbow-levers to adjust the cams which control the cylinder and dial needles. These chains, levers, and other connect-ions are all of known form and arrange ment and in themselves constitute no part of my invention, and a detailed description thereof is rendered unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a cylinder knitting-machine, the dial movable vertically in relation to the cylinder, in combination with an automatic pattern mechanism and driving-gear therefor, substantially as described and shown, to effect the rising and falling action of the dial,whereby the machine is adapted to produce automatically a continuous fabric with coarselyknitted courses therein at predetermined intervals.

2. In a cylinder knitting machine, the cylinder and the dial mounted to move vertically in relation to the cylinder, in combination with the pattern-chain, automatic driving mechanism therefor, and connecting devices through which the chain raises and low ers the dial.

3. In a cylinder knitting-machine, the vertically-movable dial, its sustaining-shaft, the elbow-lever to raise and lower the shaft, the second lever g the connecting-link, and the pattern-chain to actuate the second lever.

4. In a cylinder knitting-machine, the dial, its vertically-movable shaft, the lever G to operate the shaft, the pattern-chain, and adjustable connections, substantially such as shown, to vary the length of movement of lever G.

5. In a knitting-machine, the pattern-chain roll, in combination with its ratchet-wheel, the actuating-pawl, the second and larger ratchet-wheel, its movable support, and connections, substantially as shown, actuated by the pattern-chain to move said support, whereby the actuating-pawl is caused to move the mined time, and thus remain out of action for v a long period of time.

6. In a cylinder knitting-machine, the vertically-movable dial and the roll, patternchain, and intermediate devices for moving the dial, in combination with the rolloperating ratchet-wheel, its actuating-pawl driven from the cylinder, a throw-out device for the pawl, and a pattern-chain mounted on the roll and connected with the throw-outdevice, whereby one chain is caused to control the movement of the second chain through which the dial is adjusted.

7. In a pattern-chain mechanism,amain pattern-chain, a secondary pattern-chain, and a single roll or shaft bywhich the two chains are carried, in combination with a roll driving mechanism, an automatic throw-out device whereby the driving mechanism is controlled to act only at regular intervals, and connections from the secondary chain to the throw out device to let the roll-driving mechanism into action momentarily at times when it would not otherwise operate, whereby the automatic periodic action of the feed mechanism is modified by the secondary chain.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of November, 1889, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

ARTHUR TOWVNSEND.

Witnesses:

HENRY M. BOYD, J. M. CATLETT, J r. 

